The present disclosure relates to a communication apparatus, a communication system, a communication method, and a computer-readable medium storing a communication program, which can accurately measure an available bandwidth of a communication path between communication apparatuses.
Communication apparatuses have been known that can measure an available capacity of a transmission path in a communication network (such as the Internet) whose communication environment changes. Hereinafter, the “capacity of a transmission path” may be referred to as the “bandwidth”, and an available capacity of the transmission path will be referred to as an “available bandwidth”. For example, such communication apparatuses are configured so that a communication apparatus transmits a measurement packet to a counterpart communication apparatus. A communication apparatus that has transmitted a measurement packet will be referred to as a “transmitting apparatus.” A counterpart apparatus for the transmitting apparatus will be referred to as a “receiving apparatus.” The receiving apparatus can measure the available bandwidth of a communication path between the receiving apparatus and the transmitting apparatus by receiving a measurement packet. The receiving apparatus thereafter notifies the transmitting apparatus of the available bandwidth. The transmitting apparatus and the receiving apparatus can increase the reliability of communication by selecting an appropriate communication method in accordance with the measured available bandwidth.
For a communication path having low communication stability, it is desirable that the available bandwidth be frequently measured. By frequently measuring the available bandwidth, the available bandwidth can be promptly and accurately acquired even if the communication environment changes, and thereby the communication apparatus can select the optimum communication method and perform reliable communication.